Wire-stretcher.



J. E; WILSON.

WIRE STRETGHER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB. 4, 1910.

997,725; Patented July 11 1911.

JAMES E. WILSON, OF JET, OKLAHOMA.

WIRE-STRETCI-IER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1:911.

Application filed March 4, 1910. Serial No. 547,337.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs E. WILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jet, in the county of Alfalfa and State of Oklahoma, have invented new and useful Improvements in lVire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wire fence stretchers and has for its object the provision of a device of that kind whereby the section of a fence consisting of a plurality of strands of wire may be stretched from post to post and where individual wires are employed such as barbed wires, each wire may be gripped by the de vice and stretched.

Another object is the provision of a wire stretcher adapted to bear on one of the posts of a fence and when so bearing will stretch the wire beyond the post on which it bears whereby the wire may be secured to the said post and when the device is removed the stretched portion will not slacken.

A. further object is the provision of a device whichmay be employed to splice the ends of a broken wire between two adjacent posts.

With these and other objects in view, which will more fully hereinafter appear, the present invention consists in certain novel details of construction and arrange ment of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the device may be made, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification:-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. F 3 is a detail perspective of the grip.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The device includes in its construction a frame comprising a lower beam or sill 6. The beam or sill 6 is designed to bear upon the ground with one end in engagement with the lower end of a fixed support such as a fence post, designated by the numeral 7 Pivoted to'the outer end portion of the sill or beam 6 is a side beam. The side beam is formed of two strips designated by the numerals 8 and 9, the lower ends of which bear on the opposite sides of the sill or beam 6 to which they are secured by means of a pin 10 passing through alining openings in the said side beam or sill. The side beam is of such length that when the sill 6 bears upon the ground and its inner end is in engagement with the lower end of the post 7 the upper end of the side beam will bear on the upper end portion of the post.

A bracket is designated by the numeral 11 and comprises a metal strip which is fixedly secured to the upper end portion of the side beam, the said bracket being considerably greater in length than the width of the side beam so that the portion of the bracket extending in advance of the side of the side beam is offset as shown at 12 so as to bear on one side of the post 7. That portion of the bracket 11 which bears on the post 7 is provided with an opening 13 for the reception of a bolt or the like by means of which it may be secured to the post during the stretching operation.

Arranged at spaced intervals on the outer sides of the sections 8 and 9 of the side beams are a plurality of boXings l t in which are journaled shafts 15. The portions of the shafts between the sections 8 and 9 are somewhat enlarged and provide drums while the shafts are provided on one end and at points slightly beyond the section 9 with ratchet wheels 16, the teeth of which engage with the pawls 1T pivoted to the section 9. The shafts 15 are provided with non-cylindrical bores to receive the non-cylindrical end of a crank handle 18 by means of which the shafts and ratchet wheels may be rotated.

Coiled over the shafts and between the sections 8 and 9 are flexible cables 19, the free ends of which are provided with grippers. The grippers each include in their construction a shank portion 20 one end of which terminates in an eye 21 to receive the cable 19 while the opposite end is flared and provided on one face with a pair of laterally spaced lugs 22 and 23, the space between the lugs 22 and 23 being sufficient to permit the insertion of an ordinary wire but insuflicient to permit the passage thercthrough of a barb. By virtue of the lugs 22 and 23 it will be seen that a head will be provided, the sides of said lugs adjacent to the eye 21 being perpendicular to the face of the shank 20, while the outer sides of the said lugs incline.

A clamp is designated in general by the numeral 2% and as shown in Fig. 2 comprises two sections 25 and 26 which are held together by means of clamp bolts 27 and nuts 28. The clamp bolts 27 pass through the inner ends of holders 29, the outer ends of said holders being provided with openwire.

ings to receive the lugs 22 and 23. The openings in the outer ends of the holders are such that the lugs may be bodily inserted therethrough when the said outer ends bear on the shanks 20 of the grippers. It will be evident when these parts engage as shown in Fig. 1 that by rotating the shafts 15 by means of the crank handles 18, a wire fence consisting of netted wire or the like will be conveniently stretched.

It will be further evident when a barbed wire, such as is shown at 30 is passed between lugs 22 and 23 so that one of the barbs will bear on the straight sides of the lugs, that by winding the cable in a manner before described the said barbed wire will be stretched. hen it is desired the gripping elements may be used as shown to secure the holders, and in addition thereto may also receive and retain the end of a barb wire to be used in connection with the fence From this it will be seen that the gripping elements may be used to grip and hold the fence wire alone, or each of them may be used to grip the fence and an additional barb at the same time.

It will be evident, owing to the disposition of the frame and the construction of the side beam, that the grippers may be drawn between the sections 8 and 9 of the side beam and until the wire is well beyond the post 7 whereupon it may be secured without danger of slipping.

It will be evident with a device of this kind that a broken wire may be conveniently spliced by first inserting one of the grippers between the sections 8 and 9 of the frame so that it will extend in a direction opposite to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, after which the wire on that side of the frame is secured in the gripper and the wire on the opposite side of the frame secured in one of the opposite extending grippers, whereupon the ends may be brought in position to be spliced by rotating the shafts in the manner before described.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a device which is comparatively simple in structure and inexpensive in manufacture, embodying few parts and these so arranged that the danger of derangement will be reduced to a minimum.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is In combination, a wire fence clamp consisting of a pair of elongated strips, one of said strips being provided in its coengaging face with transverse recesses, rectangular holders having their inner ends arranged in said recesses and their outer ends provided with an opening, a plurality of clamping bolts passing through the strips and holders and adapted to clamp the latter and the wire fence between said strips, gripping elements comprising an elongated body member provided at one end with an offset bifurcated lug adapted to project through the opening in the holders and to further receive the terminal portion of a barbed fence wire, so that the barb rests behind the shoulder of the lugs, the opposite end of the gripping element formed with an eye, and pulling means connected with the eye for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. \VILSON. l Vitnesses A. J. DECKER, F. P. GARY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

